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Niezgoda Fitness Systems Blog

ProGrid Kinvara shoe review

July 4th, 2010 8:47pm

WOW, what a shoe! My first impression is that this is one of the best shoes I've put on my feet and I've been running for about 17 years. These shoes are very light weight (about 1/2 lb.), breathable and very flexible. They perform very much like an all-purpose racing flat but have a more aggressive tread patter. On the road these shoes are fast, on cinders they are at home, in short grass they are great, but were they really shine is on hard packed, well groomed trails. I don't believe they have the support for a more technical/aggressive trail and I doubt they'd do well in the mud, or wet grass. I don't know if I'd recommend this shoe to a jogger, larger runner or a heavy foot striker but the fast efficient runner these are a must! They may also perform very well as a racing shoe for those who can't use most racing flats or for racing on multi-surfaces were traditional spikes or flats will not do. Bottom line: Buy them if you are a fast efficient runner who like minimal(ish) type of shoe. Forget it if like technical shoe will all of the bells and whistles or if you running style is less than desired.

The Skinny on Fat

July 1st, 2010 9:02pm

The Skinny on Fat.
By Joe Niezgoda of Niezgoda Fitness Systems

Fat also called lipids are a group of naturally occurring organic compounds that are normally found in animal and vegetable tissue. Fat yields the most energy than any other type of macro nutrient at 9 calories per gram.   Fats play several roles in the body such as transport vitamins A, D, E, and K (fat soluble vitamins), synthesize many hormones.  It is very important to note that eating fat does not make you fat.  Eating fat does NOT make you fat!  Fats are classified as:

Saturated Fats – Saturated fat is the type of fat that is solid at room temperature and should be avoided.  This type of fat is saturated with hydrogen ions and does not contain any double bonds. Saturated fats are found almost exclusively in animal products.  Red meats, poultry and eggs, dairy products and most tropical oils are typical sources of saturated fat. Consuming this type of fat contributes to arterial disease, elevated LDL "bad" cholesterol, is linked to many forms of cancer and causes heart disease. Keep it to less than 10% of your daily calories.

Unsaturated Fat – Unsaturated fats are found in mostly plants and have at least one double bond within the fatty acid chain.  Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and are also fewer calories dense than saturated fat.  However, the calorie difference between the two is not noteworthy.  Unsaturated fats do not increase LDL levels and help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Polyunsaturated Fat – Polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetables (safflower, flax, sunflower, corn) and fish. Polyunsaturated fats have more than one double bond within the fatty acid chain and provide linoleic and linolenic acids.  Linolenic (omega-3) and linoleic (omega-6) acids are the two essential fatty acids and are required for optimal health.  The essential fatty acids are also important for muscle growth.

Monounsaturated Fat– Monounsaturated fats are fats that have one double bond within the fatty acid chain.  This type of unsaturated fat will help humans build muscle, burn body fat and is essential for optimal help. Monounsaturated fat is found in veggies and nuts such as olives, most nuts, and canola. Monounsaturated fat should make up the majority of your fat intake.

Daily Fat Requirement –The popular belief is that fat intake is no more than 0.5 grams per pound of bodyweight, or about 20% of total caloric intake. The FDA recommends that fat intake is kept to under 30% of caloric intake.  However, fat intake can be up 60% of caloric intake with strong health benefits such as increased testosterone and increased metabolism.  The truth is that even though most North Americans believe fat intake should be limited, no one knows for sure what is best for the general population.  What is known is that ultra-endurance athletes need to consume more carbohydrates than fat and that we need to keep saturated fats down to a minimum. 

Hydrogenated Fat - Hydrogenated fats are plant oils that are saturated with hydrogen ions and are in margarine vegetable shortening.  The food industry uses this type of fat so that their foods look “healthy” to the average consumer.  When in-fact these types of fats are as bad or worse for you than saturated fats and are associated with the same health risks as saturated fats.  These fats should be avoided. 

Typical macro nutrient diet breakdowns:
-60% calories from fat, 20% from carbs and 20% from protein. This is great for men who are looking to build muscle and reduce body fat.

-40% calories from carbohydrates, 30% fat and 30% protein.  May help people shed excess body fat.

-50% calories from carbohydrates, 30% calories from protein and 20% calories form fat.  Many endurance athletes use this.

Lubricating Ceramic Sealed Bearings

May 24th, 2010 8:57am

All bearings require lubrication. Grease and oil are the most common lubricants for ceramic hybrid bearings.  For bicycle use only grease should be used as oil will leak out of the seals much quicker and attract more contamination.  However, is more viscous than oil and will cause a bearing to run with more resistance than then one packed with oil.

 Ceramic hybrid bearings are less sensitive to fluctuations in lubrication conditions than steel bearings therefore can operate at much higher speeds that steel bearing under similar conditions.

The most common grease used with ceramic hybrid bearings is lithium grease with a mineral oil base.   However, synthetic grease is preferred in bicycle applications because synthetic lubricants require less maintenance and last longer than natural greases.    

Regardless of the type of grease used, in bicycle applications the grease consistency should be NLGI grade 1.5 – NLGI grade 2 and should not exceed 30% of the free space in the bearing.

To prevent excess grease the bearing should be packed fully with both seals removed.  You will know the bearing is fully packed with only new, clean grease run out of the opposite side of the bearing.

After the bearing is freshly packed a low-speed run-in period needed to ensure even distribution of grease.  This low-speed run in period will also eject excess grease. Without a low-speed run-in period, excess grease will remain in the bearing causing extra rolling resistance, be pushed out later and attract dirt.   The run-in period also help distribute the grease evenly within the bearing.

Sealed bicycle bearing should be re-greased about 1-2 types per year, more often in used in wet, muddy and dirty conditions.

Now that we know the basics of what to look for when greasing your ceramic hybrid bearings here is a step by step set of instructions of how to do it.

 

1)      Remove the sealed bearing from the hub, bottom bracket, headset, etc.  If you do not know how to do this please ask a professional for help.

2)      Carefully remove the bearing seals and wipe them with a clean soft rag until clean.

3)      Clean as much of the old grease out of the bearing with a clean lint free rag.  Then brush the bearing with a clean dry soft bristled brush.  A tooth brush works great.

4)      Re-pack the bearing with high quality synthetic grease [Mobile 1 synthetic grease (NLGI 2), Amsoil synthetic marine grease (NLGI 1.5), or similar greases work well].  Force the new fresh grease into the bearing at one end until it runs out clean on the opposite side.  Slowly work your way around the bearing until you reach the point at witch you started.  Make sure the bearing is fully packed.

5)      Once the bearing is fully packed with clean grease wipe gently wipe away the excess with a clean hard, strait edge, such as a knife.

6)      Perform a low-speed run-in by holding the bearing by the center firmly.  Then spin the outside of the bearing with your finger a few times.

7)      Wipe away the ejected grease with a knife or other straight edged object.

8)      Replace the seals making sure the press firmly all of the way around the bearing.

9)      Wipe off any excess grease with a clean rag and reinstall the bearing, using the appropriate bearing press.  Ceramic bearing are very hard but will crumble under a shock (being pounded into place).

 

* Re-packing sealed bearing is a relatively easy process, but caution should be taken not to damage the bearing upon installation and removal.  If you do not have the proper tools or are not 100% confident in your skills ask a professional bicycle mechanic to perform these steps for you.

 

Not Only Fast Twitch and Slow Twitch

May 19th, 2010 9:11am

Muscle Fiber Types

You skeletal muscle is made up of two major types of fibers fast twitch (type II or white fibers) and slow twitch (Type I or red fibers). The fiber types are broken down further from there. Without getting too technical here is the breakdown of our muscle fibers.

Slow Twitch

We are endurance athletes so we all know about slow twitch fibers. They are the most used type of these fibers has long efforts. This fiber type has slow twitch times, generate low peak force and have a high resistance to fatigue. These fibers are red in color and are packed full of mitochondria. They are also high in oxidative enzymes, but low in glycolytic markers and ATPase activity.

FOG

Some fast twitch fibers were found to maintain their force production for quite a long time because they use oxygen to produce energy. They also tend to be relatively high in glycolytic enzymes and ATPase activity. These fibers contract quickly with a good amount of force and fatigue slowly. These have these are called Fast Oxidative-Glycolytic (FOG). These are the first fast twitch fiber to turn on.

This fiber type is pink in color has a lower concentration of mitochondria than slow twitch muscles and can split ATP very quickly. These fibers contract quickly, yet can contract for an extended duration before fatigue sets in. These ie fibers don’t put out the same forces as the big daddy fibers and don’t last as long as the slow twitch fibers.

Big Daddy Fibers

This group contracts with the highest amount of force of any other fiber type and contracts very rapidly, but fatigues very rapidly. They type of fiber also needs more rest to recover than the other two types of fibers. This type of fiber uses high ATPase and glycolytic activities and doesn't use much if any oxygen to produce energy . These are called Fast Glycolytic (Big Daddy) fibers. All other fast twitch fibers must be activated before this type of fiber will turn on.

Our types of muscle fibers turn on in succession; for instance: Slow twitch fibers must turn on before our FOG fibers turn on, our FOG’s must turn on before our Big Daddy’s turn on. So in theory we work every type of muscle fiber when we are doing fast explosive movements such as plyo’s.

Protein 411

The Role of a Protein. Protein (4 calories per gram) – When broken down in your body it is turned into peptides then further broken down into amino acids.  Amino Acids are the body’s primary building block for body tissues.  Excess amino acids get turned into fat or are expelled from the body.  Amino acids help build/repair muscle and aid in building cells,  the immune system and hormones.  Out of all the macro-nutrients protein takes the most energy to turn into useable energy.  This is why eating a high protein diet may help some people lose weight.

Types of Protein. All proteins can fall into two categories complete and incomplete. Complete proteins are proteins that have all 8 essential amino acids (tryptophan, phenylalanine, lysine, methionine, leucine, threonine, isoleucine, valine). A diet high in meats typically has plenty of complete proteins.

Incomplete Proteins are proteins that do not contain all of the essential amino acids. Plant proteins are typically incomplete proteins.  It is a good idea to eat a variety of incomplete proteins so that you will not miss any of the essential amino acids.

How Much Protein Do I Need?- It is recommended that an athlete consumes about 1to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight which is more than twice what the average person will need (about .4 grams per pound of body weight).  This is a good guideline, however I like to have athletes consume between 20% and 40% of their calories from protein, depending on the sport.

Types of Amino Acids. From what we know the body uses about 20 different amino acids for growth and repair (glycine asparagine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, lysine, methionine, leucine, threonine, isoleucine, alanine, valine aspartic acid, glutamic acid, cysteine, glutamine, proline, serine, tyrosine, arginine, histidine). Out of the there are 8 that our body can not make from other amino acids, these amino acids are called Essential Amino Acids. Since our bodies are unable to produce these amino’s we must consume them in our diets.

Diversity is important. There are many sources of protein, and one is not necessarily better than another.    To ensure that you are consuming all of the essential amino acids it’s a good idea to ingest a variety of different proteins.  If you are chronically deficient in one or more essential amino acids you body will not be able to function properly.

Biological Value – Proteins are ranked on a scale called the Biological Values (BV). The BV is a set of numbers that are given to protein how well our bodies can use them. When the scale was developed proteins were ranked on a scale from 0 – 1.00. Eggs were given the highest BV of 1.00 because they are the most bio-available natural protein. Years later technology allowed up to isolate whey and casein from milk.  Whey was shown to have a higher BV then egg, and depending on the process used to extract it from milk, it can have a BV from 1.04 to 1.54.

Milk and “Milk Proteins”

Milk – Cow’s milk as a maximum BV of .90 and human milk has a BV of .95.   Milk has a near ideal blend of casein and whey proteins.  Because of its convenience milk proteins make up a large portion of the proteins we consume. Casein and whey proteins compliment each other very well; this is why most meal replacements use this blend in their protein make up.

Whey Protein Isolate-  WPI is the bio-available protein currently available, having a max BV of 1.75.  In ideal conditions this protein can start being absorbed in about 10 minutes and most people can absorb about 10 grams in an hour and consuming more than 30 grams at once is not a good idea.  The best way to mix this protein is with milk and not water. This will slow down the digestion of the WPI giving your body more time to absorb it.

Whey protein isolate is one of the best post workout recovery supplements. Its best to consume protein in a ratio of up to 7 carbs to 1 protein after endurance training and 3 or 4 carbs to 1 protein after resistance training. To get the recovery benefits of the protein/recovery drink you need to consume it within 30-60 minutes after your workout.  This is because for the first 60 minutes your body’s cells are primed to absorb nutrients.  If you wait too long, take nutrients and amino acids from other muscle tissue. Whey protein isolate is also the best type of protein to use when on a traditional calorie reduced diet. The major downfall to this type of protein however is its price. It is by far the most expensive type of protein available.

Whey Protein. Whey protein (is sometimes confused with whey protein concentrate) has a max BV of .96.  This the first type of protein sold as a supplement.  Recently whey protein has become near obsolete.   At 4 BV points below an egg it’s is far wiser choice to eat eggs.  Basic whey protein and whey protein concentrate (max BV of 104) are often used in lesser quality or products because both are very inexpensive.

Casein – Casein like whey is a protein is separated from milk. Casein has a max BV of .77 and is a great complement to whey protein isolate. Some experts believe that consuming casein before bed time will help you build muscle.  However, any evidence I’ve found of this has been anecdotal.

Both casein and whey proteins stimulate protein synthesis in the muscle, which aids in growth and repair. The major benefit of casein seems to be that it is used more directly in muscle repair and building.  Whey seem to me used more as an energy source similar to carbohydrates, which could be why many of the newer sports drinks are containing whey protein.   There is also anecdotal evidence showing that consuming casein may help prevent the storage of excess body fat.

Meat & Fish Proteins

Meat Proteins – Beef from a cow has a max BV of .80 and some fish have a BV of close to that. Although chicken seems to be preferred in bodybuilding circles, turkey is a better choice yet, lean red meat has better results than chicken, turkey and some fish.  Studies have shown that people getting most of their protein from red meat gained more muscle than those consuming most of their protein from, chicken and tuna. That doesn’t only eat red meat. Tuna and chicken are low fat, high in protein and may be more heart healthy that red meat.  Again variety is key so eat several types of meat.

Meat (especially red meat) contains a wide range of amino acids, creatine, and other useful elements that most other natural proteins do not supply. The major negative to eating meat is that meat does not have any fiber and does not contain a large amount of highly usable nutrients.  Most of meat we eat ends up in your stool and stuck in our intestines.  We need the fiber from plants to make help get it out of our systems.

Whole Eggs– Egg whites have a max BV of .91 and full eggs have a BV of 1.00, so don’t cut yourself short and skip the yoke.  Chicken eggs are the “perfect” type of meat. Eggs are versatile sources of usable protein and can be consumed in many different ways. Eating large quantities of eggs per day isn’t a good idea because they fill you quickly and if you are an endurance athlete eating too many may make it difficult to ingest enough calories.  Most health conscious people throw away all the yolks and in most cases this is a is not ideal.  The egg yoke is has a high amount of protein, contains amino acids, B-vitamins and mineral. The major downfall of egg yolks are that they may stress your liver your liver and are extremely toxic in large doses when consumed over a prolonged time, because of this it may be a good idea not to eat eggs every day.

Plant Proteins

Plant Proteins- Plant proteins can be found in wheat, beans, nuts, seeds and a variety of other places.  Plant proteins are incomplete proteins so if you are a vegetarian you need to pay very close attention to your food combining. 

Soy Protein- Soy alone is not a great choice for muscle building or general health, is digests very rapidly, is not a complete protein and it has a max BV of .74.  In large quantities over a prolonged period of time will hinder your body’s ability to produce testosterone.  Some anecdotal evidence has also linked super supplementing soy with breast cancer, brain damage, and infertility.  Soy is not all bad and its great for cardiovascular system health.  It helps the body lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Having high levels of this type of cholesterol is will increase your risk of contracting a cardiovascular disease such as a stroke or heart attack.   Don’t worry about soy being dangerous most of us would have a very difficult time consuming enough soy to cause a problem.

Soy Protein Isolate- This type of protein has a higher BV (max BV of 74) than normal soy protein and will ferment in your system quickly causing you to have a bad case of gas and possibly cramping.  Soy Protein Isolate has very little or no use as a sports nutrition supplement.

Wheat Gluten (max BV is .64) – Best know as gluten, it is extracted form wheat, barley and rye.  It is an alternative to soy and meat protein but is not well know or often used.  Even though Gluten may be a healthier substitute for poor quality meats, it is not a good source of usable protein, so it is often skipped.   Gluten combined with beans however, can have a max BV of 100 (the same as eggs).  Some people are gluten intolerant which is a genetic problem with the immune system.  In people with gluten intolerance an immune reaction will cause irreversible damage to the intestines.  This damage causes a weakened immune system and nutrients aren’t absorbed as well, some not at all.

**Supplementing protein and other food stuffs are usually safe but use common sense and know what you are using or your may harm your health.

Ceramic Bearings Revisited

Are you getting enough water?

Run a 5k in Three Days a Week

Are you a fit individual who is looking to run a 5k?   If you have a good cardiovascular background and workout three or more days a week this plan may be for you.

I do suggest that you have contacted your doctor before starting. 

Remember that this program does not take the place of a customized program designed by a certified coach.  With this program will do is get you to the finish line of a 5k foot race in 8 weeks.

Have Fun!

Suggested 3x a week workouts schedule (5k)

Week one

Monday – Easy distance 1 miles & striders

Wed - Get thee to the track

Friday – 30 min (run negative splits)

Week 2

Monday – 2 miles easy & striders

Wed – Track workout.

Friday – 30 tempo (10 min at 65%, 15 min at 90%, 10 min at 60%)

Week 3

Monday –  3 miles + & striders

Wed – getting the hint yet?

Friday – Cruse intervals (5 x 1000m or 4 x 1200m at race pace with :45 sec recovery)

Week 4

Monday – 4 miles easy

Wed – Track workout

Friday – 15 min easy jogging & striders at what you think race pace will be)

Week 5

Monday – 5 miles & striders

Wed – Where should you be?  The Track!

Friday – 35 Fartlick (change speeds often)

Week 6

Monday - Easy Distance 4 miles & striders

Wed – Track

Friday – 40 min tempo (10 min at 70%, 25 min at 90%, 5 min at 60%)

Week 7

Monday – 6 miles & Striders

Wed – Track.

Friday – 45 min tempo (10 min at 65% 25 min at 90% 10 min at 60%)

Week 8 (race week)

Monday – 5 miles easy

Wed – Track

Friday – 15 min & striders (increase speed of striders to race pace)

Saturday - Race

Track workouts:

During week 1 run 4x400m fast with a 400 easy jog between them

Every week add 1 x 400 until race week

Height to Weight Chart

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This is a simple height to weight  chart for the person with average muscle mass.

 By Joe Niezgoda

Height = Feet and Inches - Weight = Pounds

Inchworms

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